INTERVIEW: Manager on the Brentford trip

United manager Greg Abbott spoke to us at the press conference on Thursday afternoon about the difficult trip to Brentford at the weekend.

"I was very happy with the response we got from the players on Tuesday night," he said.

"It’s probably as well as we have defended as a team for a while. I don’t think there was ever a period through the game when they actually looked like scoring and I thought the shape to the team was good."

"We were obviously very disappointed not to win the game after the hard work we put into it, but the signs were positive," he added. "Even though we were a little bit under-strength in terms of numbers and experience the boys did a really good job."

"We’ve prepared for Brentford in the same way as we always do," he explained. "We've worked them hard because we need to keep the pressure on the lads to keep performing in the way they did on Tuesday night. Hopefully the players can find that and we’ll go down there and get a result.

"It’ll be a really tough game though. Brentford are capable of playing football, if you let them, and we have to be aware of that. They are a big and strong physical outfit so they can do that side of it as well. They’ve had a bit of money to spend and they have some real quality right through the squad. They are also an established league one side and they now want to take that next step.

"At the moment they are right on the heels of the leaders and they're nicely poised. However, I think Uwe [Rosler] will be as concerned as any other manager with the fact they get to the brink of doing something good and then they seem to have another blip. They’ll be reasonably happy though because, like I say, they’re in a decent position and ready to push on."

"The game plan won’t change for us," he said. "We have to make sure we keep the ball when we get it and we have to defend in the same way as we have in the last couple of games. If we do that then we'll cause them problems."

And on keeping the players prepared mentally, he said: "When they are down and receiving a bit of criticism the one person who has to be upbeat and positive is me. I make sure I get round them and I try to be as constructive as I possibly can.

"We’re a tight group and we stay together. That’s important because it gives us a chance. We’re fighting and working hard to get through what is a difficult situation and I think the work ethic has seen us through.

"That’s something we should support rather than criticise, in my opinion. As a manager I’m really proud of that. I believe in sticking together and helping each other as much as you can and I think we’re getting that in bucket loads at the moment."

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